148 - Complete the Conversation

09/01/2025 20 min Episodio 148
148 - Complete the Conversation

Listen "148 - Complete the Conversation"

Episode Synopsis

In this episode, Cindy Esliger talks about how the flurry of our everyday workplace conversations can lead to misunderstandings and confusion. When we are part of work conversations at the coffee machine or in email threads that overlap other conversations, how do we know what to follow up on? We miss out on clarifying the next steps, deadlines, and each person’s responsibilities. So how do we mitigate this problem? How do we make sure we complete our conversations? Simply having the initial conversation is often not enough to ensure success. We can walk away assuming the other party is responsible for a task or not understanding a deadline. And this lack of clarity can lead to failed projects and finger-pointing. Cindy states that it’s not about holding everyone hostage to an endless meeting assigning duties, but simply ensuring that the end of every conversation includes summarizing what the next steps are, who’s doing what, and when it’s due.  Cindy advocates for avoiding the psychological toll of incomplete conversations by employing practical strategies that tidy up lingering questions. She offers three tips for implementing this into our daily work lives. 1) Summarize before we wrap, 2) Be explicit about ownership, and 3) Set deadlines and enforce them. The goal is mutual understanding. Cindy explains how to slow down and close the conversational loop for increased workplace success. Resources discussed in this episode:Guide to Completing the ConversationAstronomic AudioConfidence Collective—Contact Cindy Esliger Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.